BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Can the USB port NOT be used for power when in serial mode?

[AZScanner]

The title says it all. Getting power from USB is great when you are connected to a computer but it is a super drain on mobile devices (which explains the lack of mobile apps for this scanner). So, is there any way either via the front end or remote interface that I can tell the 436 to not suck the life out of my connected phone? Thanks... if not, that'd be a great addition to a future firmware update....

 

[jonwienke]

No. Most users using serial mode are logging scanner traffic with ProScan or similar software with a computer running on AC power.

And if such an option were enabled, you'd have a raft of users complaining because they plugged the scanner into AC power and it still killed the batteries and died.

 

[AZScanner]

Bah.. I was afraid of that. Well if anyone at Uniden wants suggestions, make that a setting I can toggle... there is a growing number of devices out there that can support OTG connections but until there's a way to keep the scanner from trying to draw it's operating power from the device, mobile scanner programming, logging and control apps are dead before they ever get written.

-AZ

 

[jonwienke]

Get a small Windows netbook, install ProScan (or equivalent) and Sentinel on it, and use that to program the scanner and log traffic and such. You can mount both in a vehicle,and run both off the netbook power supply.

 

[hiegtx]

Bah.. I was afraid of that. Well if anyone at Uniden wants suggestions, make that a setting I can toggle... there is a growing number of devices out there that can support OTG connections but until there's a way to keep the scanner from trying to draw it's operating power from the device, mobile scanner programming, logging and control apps are dead before they ever get written.

-AZ

When I want extended run time from my 436's, or a different scanner that receives it's power through the USB port (such as the 325P2 or HP-2), I use one of the battery power-packs with a large capacity, the same ones used for recharging you phone, tablet, of iPad. On the larger ones, I can get a couple days run time.

Are you running an app on your phone to access the 436HP via USB?

 

[AZScanner]

Are you running an app on your phone to access the 436HP via USB?

Yeah, that was the hairbrained idea anyway (I get those often, see the VirtualBox OP25 thread). The idea was simple, I was going to write an app to feed the phone's GPS coordinates to the scanner as I traveled, giving me the ability for location based scanning without a dedicated GPS unit. Would've worked like a charm - I had the phone and scanner talking beautifully, but within less than an hour I went from a full battery on my S7 to 9% and draining fast, thanks to the scanner drawing it's power from the USB port and not the installed batteries. Bummer!

All is not lost, I can likely find a suitable data only cable for the task... off to Amazon I go...

OK an update here - I decided to make my OWN "data-only" cable by snipping the red lead on an old min-usb cable I had laying around. Good thing I didn't spend the money - the scanner won't recognize it without the red lead. I guess it knows you've plugged the cable in by the presence of power coming in. So scratch that idea. Still working on an app (it IS cool to see your scanner's display show up on a phone, so now I'm hooked lol) but it will likely not be an app you'll want to leave tethered to your scanner 24x7. I'll put a new thread up in the Software forum when I've got something ready for you guys to play with.

-AZ

 

[Rred]

You might try getting a USB "data only" cable. These do not run all five lines, there are no power wires in them. Or, taking a conventional USB cable to opening it up, disconnecting the + power line. I'm not sure how your radio and software will react to this--but it will block any power drain. In theory the data connection can still function.

 

[KE5MC]

What do you get with the following sequence?

Radio OFF
Plug in cable, answer NO to charge
Radio ON, answer SERIAL
Radio completes power up sequence
Disconnect +5v in your modified cable

Does the serial connect continue to work for PC program(ProScan or ...) and are now running off of batteries?

P.S. Rred - he already made his own data only cable.

 

[AZScanner]

What do you get with the following sequence?

Radio OFF
Plug in cable, answer NO to charge
Radio ON, answer SERIAL
Radio completes power up sequence
Disconnect +5v in your modified cable

Does the serial connect continue to work for PC program(ProScan or ...) and are now running off of batteries?

P.S. Rred - he already made his own data only cable.

No good - once you drop the power off, it thinks you've unplugged the cable and then you're back to square one.

Right now I have my phone sitting on the quick charging pad (such a cool feature - scanner makers, take note) so I can still run the OTG cable off of the phone into the scanner and the charger is beefy enough to keep the phone charged while still running the scanner along with it. It's not an ideal solution, but it will suffice for now. I think the only solution really would be an option in the scanner to tell it don't use USB for power - and since that's how the clock battery stays charged.... well, let's just say I'm not holding my breath for that option to be added - if it even could be.

So anyway, on to the fun part of writing an app that talks to the scanner. I'll start a new thread for suggestions on what the community might like the app to do besides show you what's on the display, which is pretty much all it does right now. To keep it simple, it will support the x36HP's only, then I'll add other models as time/finances permit (unless someone wants to loan me a unit so it can be added of course lol).

-AZ